Important Instructions in the Mail

The other morning, I went to the mailbox to check the mail, and found that the red flag was up, signifying that we had mail for the mailman to pick up. When I opened it, I found a piece of paper - the pulpy kind you find in an elementary school's art class - with a vague drawing of it, which turned out to be kind-of a human-like figure, in brown. I had no idea what it was about, but realized that it was unlikely to go far with the U.S. Postal Service - to the extent that we continue to have a postal service - without any address, envelope or stamp. So I took it out, kept it for Posterity, and mentioned it to Amy, who explained that it was Daniel's instructions on how to "build a gingerbread man," which he was sending to his friend and fellow-Kindergartener, Meron.

A day or so later, Daniel checked the mailbox as he was waiting for his school bus, and, apparently finding it empty, provided the following assessment:

"Daddy, I mailed how to make a gingerbread man to Meron, and it's gone, so maybe it went to Meron, and maybe the mailman's keeping it."

(September 9, 2011)